Really like this. Thought I detected so slight cork taint so stuck some saran wrap in the glass which seemed to do the trick. The most surprising thing about this wine is its youthfulness. It seems more like a 4-5 year-old cab than a 10 year old one. Dark red with no hint of bricking; Pretty standard Cabernet Sauvignon nose with some predominance of chocolates notes. On the palate, some tannins persist, and the overall balance is good with a fairly long finish. I think this is pretty high quality Napa cab.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drinking well. Dark purple color. Needs at least 60 minutes of decanting - opened up well. Dark berries, oak, tobacco - complex with firm tannins and a good nose. Stays on your palate for an extended period. Enjoyed this wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Medium ruby red. Dark cherries on the nose with some anise and bitter cocoa. Medium tannins (5.5/10) and medium bodied. Dark red profile on the palate with some bitter spices, blue fruit and earth. Medium plus finish. Drink till 2023.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A really terrific California cabernet. Medium tannins, satiny texture, smooth, balanced. Crowd pleaser tendencies or at least pleasing to most palates. Plum, cocoa, earth are predominant characteristics.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Structured and stylish this is full of black currants, cassis, creosote, and pencil shavings on the nose. Plump, youthful, and savory in the mouth, with a kiss of middle sweetness that's balanced by a hint of salinity. Mellows out nicely with air. Nicely done.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
PnP, sipping without food... The wine looks inky/purple colored with slow legs. It tastes like blackberry, black currant (cassis), with some stoniness and oak and ?. The body is medium, tannins medium. The wine has satin-like texture and finishes medium-long. Most of the fruit is in the finish, but the rest is balanced and smooth. I'd rate it a little better than prior reviews read. Drinking well now, would say as good or better than last bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Had my third bottle with chocolate chip cookies. Great QPR. Full bodied, tobacco, blackberry with a good finish. Enjoyed all 3 bottles this year. Bummed I'm out of this wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Deep and weighty this is attractive with tobacco, black fruit and a hint of spice. There is a pronounced smoakiness on the 2nd day. This is fairly priced at $40+ish but nothing too memorable.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Purple with a translucent rim. Nice sloooww legs. 45 minute decant. Medium floral nose of red roses, black cherry and wet gravel. Also some heat and alcohol on the nose. Taste is similar but also with notes of cinnamon and cedar, particularly on the mid palate. Good tannins with a little too much acidity/alcohol at this point. Long finish. I like this wine and suspect it will improve with more air time or aging.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
P: MF, poss Med, body; Tight, yet with almost swtish fruit on entry, then the "pucker" kicks in; VERY long, somewhat astringent finish. GREAT potential here, but needs 2-3 yrs of cellaring, & will the fruit outlast the tannins? 14.8% ABV
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This was perfection. Loved the glass from the first glance at the ruby-toned red. The cab had notes of berry and a hint of wood (not much), and was lovely on the palate. Outstanding! Paired with my waygu fillet at Sage Las Vegas.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This was a Pnp which was a mistake. This needs at least a 2 hour decant if you drink now and could really use a couple of years, although it is not a complex wine. There was some heat on the finish. This is a sweet wine although not in a syrupy way. I am a huge Darioush fan but this was in no way close to the regular bottling. While this is not a bad bottle of wine I was definitely disappointed. There are many better bottles in the mid $40 range. My favorites being Frank Family and Groth when on sale.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dusty nose, wet asphalt, cassis, mocha, floral, crayola. Med/full bodied palate. Dark cherry and raspberries on the palate. Great balance. Not overripe at all. Oak spice on the finish. Great acidity/tannins which balances this out quite well. Overall a solid wine. Will be better in a couple of years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Deep purple color. Nose of berries. Well rounded tannins, with plums, cherries and a bit of citrus. Full bodied nicely balanced. A luscious bottle of wine
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nice nose, hints of vanilla, flowers and wet gravel on the nose. Fruit was somewhat muted by tannins, but this does have some potential with a few years of cellaring.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drank at Marco Prime restaurant for $85/bottle, minus 25% for happy hour. 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 4% Malbec. This took a good 30-60 minutes to open up and was not as powerful / fruit-forward as I expected based on the reviews and reputation of the producer, but that may be more due to my expectations than the bottle itself. Luscious, fruit forward - dark berries, oak, chocolate notes with firm tannins, complex. Me - 89, Wife - 93
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Bombastic by design. Dark purple. The nose is heavy on vanilla, cherry, plumb and rolling dark fruit. Palate is consistent it's a dry tannic finishing with pronounced acidity. Lots of heat but less than I'd expect at 15.8% (the label on the bottle reads 14.8% but Ontario must have tested it higher because there is a sticker and the release wear delayed). 5+13+16+8=92
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Beckett Tasting Group - Jan 2016: Dark purple color. Nose is the least expressive of the three in this flight. Getting some cherry and spice, with a hint of cinnamon. Dark cherry, plum, a little tartness, some in the group picked up a metallic flavor. Pretty big and tannic.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Pour through Vinturi ... Lush and plush up front, with raspberries and clotted cream to open. The mid has some caramel and dust, with tannins adding solid structure. Overall a very, very nice wine, that paired well with pepper pot pork chops and creamy mashed potatoes. Not quite the screaming value earlier vintages were, but still amongst our year-in, year-out favorites.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Restaurant purchase at Eddie V's Edgewater Grill in Austin. This was my first time with the Caravan, although I've had the Darioush flagship Cabernet many times over the years. Decanted prior to dinner. Nicely styled displaying all black fruits: black currant, blackberries, and some sark cherries. Still a healthy dose of tannins but it worked perfectly with the dinner entrees. Big in the mouth with a long finish. Very impressed and definitely a brand to seek out in the future. One of the best 2012's I've had to date.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I've always been a fan of Caravan, in fact, many vintages I thought it was better than the Darioush flagship Cabernet. That being said, the 2012 is a tannic monster. Like so many Cali reds up and down the state, the '12s just have massive grip to them. This wine still has the classic Caravan depth of flavor, cherry-cola, dark fruit, however you just need to get past the tannins.
-- Consumed at at cellar temp: 60°-65° F. Friends don't let friends drink red wine at room temp!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Caravan - we ordered a bottle of this at the bar at the Herrington inn in Geneva where we were attending the wedding celebration of daughter-in-law's brother. After tasting the big robust Paul Hobbs crossbarn '12 last night (which was also on the winelst thus inviting this mini horizontal comparison - second Hobbs label vs that of darioush - 2012) - this comes across like a prop vs a jet.
Ruby colored, medium bodied, the austere profile was apparent in the glass. Initially a bit lean and narrow, the cherry fruit was quickly overtaken by tones of graphite, creosote and coffee. This showed much better later in the evening against the table wine served at the banquet we were attending. We're big fans of darioush but have never been excited with this second label. That trend continues.
RM 87 point
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Really nice- typical of 2012. High alcohol, so it comes off very sweet with big powerful cherry fruit. Has the Napa cab "back end" with a nice spice character. Not the most complex ever, but a great value.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A lot to like in this wine. It's a dark garnet color in the glass but lighter bodied than you'd expect. The profile is broad enough with leather, anise, raisin, and blackberry. Even a little tapenade. I found the tannins to be modest but coarse enough to benefit from a little more bottle time. I'd suggest holding for 3 years or so. Sure to be a crowd pleaser at that point
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nice, dry. Not much fruit. Some earthy tones. Somewhat layered. Although this was an enjoyable bottle of wine, I feel there are better '12's at the same price point.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Love the color Love the nose. I let this breath for three hours. Still tight but classic cab flavors. Almost a big cab. Good tannins with a strong cab structure. Plum, small amounts of smoke, and cassis with a medium range length across the palate. Would be good with steak or a heavy seasoned meat. Good dryness with spices on the end.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
11/3/2022 - Momus99 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Really like this. Thought I detected so slight cork taint so stuck some saran wrap in the glass which seemed to do the trick. The most surprising thing about this wine is its youthfulness. It seems more like a 4-5 year-old cab than a 10 year old one. Dark red with no hint of bricking; Pretty standard Cabernet Sauvignon nose with some predominance of chocolates notes. On the palate, some tannins persist, and the overall balance is good with a fairly long finish. I think this is pretty high quality Napa cab.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/1/2021 - Momus99 wrote: 89 Points
Just ok. Tannins are gone and starting to develop some secondary notes. Probably past it’s prime but went ok with gourmet burgers.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/10/2020 - sbadida wrote: 90 Points
Drinking well. Dark purple color. Needs at least 60 minutes of decanting - opened up well. Dark berries, oak, tobacco - complex with firm tannins and a good nose. Stays on your palate for an extended period. Enjoyed this wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/11/2020 - Millennial Drinkers wrote: 89 Points
Medium ruby red. Dark cherries on the nose with some anise and bitter cocoa. Medium tannins (5.5/10) and medium bodied. Dark red profile on the palate with some bitter spices, blue fruit and earth. Medium plus finish. Drink till 2023.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/18/2019 - Delli Likes this wine: 92 Points
Consistent with the last note. Drinking well but it's an aggressive bottle at 25.8% alcohol.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/12/2018 - E&S WineDown Likes this wine: 92 Points
A smooth Cabernet with good fruit and well integrated tannins. Had it with a rich beef stew, paired perfectly.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/6/2018 - pgb67 wrote: 91 Points
A really terrific California cabernet. Medium tannins, satiny texture, smooth, balanced. Crowd pleaser tendencies or at least pleasing to most palates. Plum, cocoa, earth are predominant characteristics.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/22/2018 - JohnnyBer Likes this wine: 92 Points
Beautiful nose and smooth on the palate. Went strong for hours in the glass. Exceeded my expectations.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/21/2018 - Baron Slick wrote: 91 Points
Structured and stylish this is full of black currants, cassis, creosote, and pencil shavings on the nose. Plump, youthful, and savory in the mouth, with a kiss of middle sweetness that's balanced by a hint of salinity. Mellows out nicely with air. Nicely done.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/10/2017 - gteran76 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Good palate and mid+ body with firm tannins. It has some life ahead.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/15/2017 - Dmiller3 wrote: 91 Points
Really nice drinking wine
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/22/2017 - kemorr Likes this wine: 92 Points
PnP, sipping without food... The wine looks inky/purple colored with slow legs. It tastes like blackberry, black currant (cassis), with some stoniness and oak and ?. The body is medium, tannins medium. The wine has satin-like texture and finishes medium-long. Most of the fruit is in the finish, but the rest is balanced and smooth. I'd rate it a little better than prior reviews read. Drinking well now, would say as good or better than last bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/20/2017 - tshelton12 wrote: 92 Points
Had my third bottle with chocolate chip cookies. Great QPR. Full bodied, tobacco, blackberry with a good finish. Enjoyed all 3 bottles this year. Bummed I'm out of this wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/15/2017 - John McCabe wrote: 91 Points
Deep and weighty this is attractive with tobacco, black fruit and a hint of spice. There is a pronounced smoakiness on the 2nd day. This is fairly priced at $40+ish but nothing too memorable.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/16/2017 - rsct2001 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Excellent
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/19/2016 - RockyII Likes this wine: 91 Points
Purple with a translucent rim. Nice sloooww legs. 45 minute decant. Medium floral nose of red roses, black cherry and wet gravel. Also some heat and alcohol on the nose. Taste is similar but also with notes of cinnamon and cedar, particularly on the mid palate. Good tannins with a little too much acidity/alcohol at this point. Long finish. I like this wine and suspect it will improve with more air time or aging.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/22/2016 - srh Likes this wine:
Taste Cabernet Sauvignon (San Diego Wine & Beer Co.): N: Jam with notes of menthol & toast; Intensity lurking?
P: MF, poss Med, body; Tight, yet with almost swtish fruit on entry, then the "pucker" kicks in; VERY long, somewhat astringent finish. GREAT potential here, but needs 2-3 yrs of cellaring, & will the fruit outlast the tannins? 14.8% ABV
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/22/2016 - wine_454 Likes this wine: 98 Points
This was perfection. Loved the glass from the first glance at the ruby-toned red. The cab had notes of berry and a hint of wood (not much), and was lovely on the palate. Outstanding! Paired with my waygu fillet at Sage Las Vegas.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/11/2016 - napasoutherner Does not like this wine: 87 Points
Too young but even still had too much green ripe vine fruit. Light jam. Not a fan
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/5/2016 - RayT wrote: 89 Points
This was a Pnp which was a mistake. This needs at least a 2 hour decant if you drink now and could really use a couple of years, although it is not a complex wine. There was some heat on the finish. This is a sweet wine although not in a syrupy way. I am a huge Darioush fan but this was in no way close to the regular bottling. While this is not a bad bottle of wine I was definitely disappointed. There are many better bottles in the mid $40 range. My favorites being Frank Family and Groth when on sale.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/23/2016 - yonster24 wrote:
Dusty nose, wet asphalt, cassis, mocha, floral, crayola. Med/full bodied palate. Dark cherry and raspberries on the palate. Great balance. Not overripe at all. Oak spice on the finish. Great acidity/tannins which balances this out quite well. Overall a solid wine. Will be better in a couple of years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/19/2016 - Rscholtz Likes this wine: 91 Points
Plenty of dark fruits, with fine but gripping tannins right now. Either let it sit for another year, or drink it with a fatty ribeye steak.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (1)
4/8/2016 - mneilso@outlook.com wrote:
Amazing drank with J&J
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/28/2016 - Robwild Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep purple color. Nose of berries. Well rounded tannins, with plums, cherries and a bit of citrus. Full bodied nicely balanced. A luscious bottle of wine
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/10/2016 - Geaux Tigers wrote: 90 Points
Nice nose, hints of vanilla, flowers and wet gravel on the nose. Fruit was somewhat muted by tannins, but this does have some potential with a few years of cellaring.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/5/2016 - GoBlue2002 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drank at Marco Prime restaurant for $85/bottle, minus 25% for happy hour.
76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 4% Malbec.
This took a good 30-60 minutes to open up and was not as powerful / fruit-forward as I expected based on the reviews and reputation of the producer, but that may be more due to my expectations than the bottle itself.
Luscious, fruit forward - dark berries, oak, chocolate notes with firm tannins, complex.
Me - 89, Wife - 93
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/13/2016 - Delli Likes this wine: 92 Points
Bombastic by design. Dark purple. The nose is heavy on vanilla, cherry, plumb and rolling dark fruit. Palate is consistent it's a dry tannic finishing with pronounced acidity. Lots of heat but less than I'd expect at 15.8% (the label on the bottle reads 14.8% but Ontario must have tested it higher because there is a sticker and the release wear delayed). 5+13+16+8=92
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/29/2016 - td1836 wrote: 89 Points
Beckett Tasting Group - Jan 2016: Dark purple color. Nose is the least expressive of the three in this flight. Getting some cherry and spice, with a hint of cinnamon. Dark cherry, plum, a little tartness, some in the group picked up a metallic flavor. Pretty big and tannic.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/1/2015 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Oak chocolate notes Bill. Smells great.
Gutsy and powerful on the palate. Hey, good stuff.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/11/2015 - markandsusanw Likes this wine: 92 Points
Pour through Vinturi ... Lush and plush up front, with raspberries and clotted cream to open. The mid has some caramel and dust, with tannins adding solid structure. Overall a very, very nice wine, that paired well with pepper pot pork chops and creamy mashed potatoes. Not quite the screaming value earlier vintages were, but still amongst our year-in, year-out favorites.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/29/2015 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Works at $50 or so.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/18/2015 - AggieWineGuy Likes this wine: 88 Points
Needs to be decanted a very bold wine, cherry Currant tobacco coffee high tannins
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/16/2015 - wmccone54 wrote: 92 Points
Restaurant purchase at Eddie V's Edgewater Grill in Austin. This was my first time with the Caravan, although I've had the Darioush flagship Cabernet many times over the years. Decanted prior to dinner. Nicely styled displaying all black fruits: black currant, blackberries, and some sark cherries. Still a healthy dose of tannins but it worked perfectly with the dinner entrees. Big in the mouth with a long finish. Very impressed and definitely a brand to seek out in the future. One of the best 2012's I've had to date.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/24/2015 - Gestalted Likes this wine: 90 Points
I've always been a fan of Caravan, in fact, many vintages I thought it was better than the Darioush flagship Cabernet. That being said, the 2012 is a tannic monster. Like so many Cali reds up and down the state, the '12s just have massive grip to them. This wine still has the classic Caravan depth of flavor, cherry-cola, dark fruit, however you just need to get past the tannins.
--
Consumed at at cellar temp: 60°-65° F. Friends don't let friends drink red wine at room temp!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/16/2015 - rmcnees wrote: 87 Points
Caravan - we ordered a bottle of this at the bar at the Herrington inn in Geneva where we were attending the wedding celebration of daughter-in-law's brother. After tasting the big robust Paul Hobbs crossbarn '12 last night (which was also on the winelst thus inviting this mini horizontal comparison - second Hobbs label vs that of darioush - 2012) - this comes across like a prop vs a jet.
Ruby colored, medium bodied, the austere profile was apparent in the glass. Initially a bit lean and narrow, the cherry fruit was quickly overtaken by tones of graphite, creosote and coffee. This showed much better later in the evening against the table wine served at the banquet we were attending. We're big fans of darioush but have never been excited with this second label. That trend continues.
RM 87 point
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/27/2015 - unclebigtime Likes this wine: 93 Points
Really nice- typical of 2012. High alcohol, so it comes off very sweet with big powerful cherry fruit. Has the Napa cab "back end" with a nice spice character. Not the most complex ever, but a great value.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/3/2015 - TJ Kroehle Likes this wine: 96 Points
heavy, deep red cherry with a coffee finish. At Artin's in Dallas
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/26/2015 - jviz Likes this wine: 91 Points
A lot to like in this wine. It's a dark garnet color in the glass but lighter bodied than you'd expect. The profile is broad enough with leather, anise, raisin, and blackberry. Even a little tapenade. I found the tannins to be modest but coarse enough to benefit from a little more bottle time. I'd suggest holding for 3 years or so. Sure to be a crowd pleaser at that point
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/23/2015 - Robwild wrote: 90 Points
Excellent. Full bodied. Nose full of berries. Soft, supple and well balanced. Blackberries, casis with oak and a touch of leather. Very good value
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/9/2015 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 92 Points
better than previous vintages
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/7/2015 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 92 Points
Had a tasting pour from a machine. Nice complex fruit, nicely oaked, good length. Liked it better this vintage.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/4/2014 - jfaulk wrote: 88 Points
Nice, dry. Not much fruit. Some earthy tones. Somewhat layered. Although this was an enjoyable bottle of wine, I feel there are better '12's at the same price point.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/2/2014 - Glenn92 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Love the color
Love the nose. I let this breath for three hours. Still tight but classic cab flavors. Almost a big cab. Good tannins with a strong cab structure.
Plum, small amounts of smoke, and cassis with a medium range length across the palate. Would be good with steak or a heavy seasoned meat. Good dryness with spices on the end.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment